Panorama winter hike Braunwald in GlarnerlandPanorama winter hike Braunwald in GlarnerlandPanorama winter hike Braunwald in GlarnerlandPanorama winter hike Braunwald in Glarnerland

For a long time, the car-free Braunwald in Glarus has been on my bucket list of Swiss winter sports resorts that I would like to visit. On this beautiful Saturday, the opportunity finally arose and the weather cooperated as desired shortly before the announced foehn storm. Due to the predicted wind strengths, we set off early and reached the Grotzenbüel mountain station shortly before nine o’clock – the plan: the panoramic hike via Kneugrat to the Gleichbengrat. As a three-hour hike, it is perfect for doing sports and at the same time enjoying the panoramic view of the Glarus Alps.

It is not for nothing that Braunwald is one of the snowiest winter sports resorts in Switzerland. After we have completed the first ascent on the path prepared by snow groomers, we stand in front of the untracked path through the forest towards Kneugrat. For once, the snowshoes would have been worth it. Equipped only with hiking boots, we sink knee-deep with every third step, which is really exhausting. This does not prevent us from admiring the snowy winter landscape. Here and there you can make out fresh tracks and between the fir trees there are great panoramic views of the Bächi valley. Once at the top of the Seblengrat, we treat ourselves to a breather on the sun terrace of the mountain restaurant and then hike back the same way towards Braunwald. A wonderful Saturday outing!

By the way – as you can see in the pictures, I’m finally back on the road with my beloved Langly photo backpack. It broke down in September on the circular hike through the rear Lauterbrunnen valley. A carrier tore. Pretty stupid. Unfortunately, the warranty had expired and the backpack was imported directly from the USA. Well. It lay around for half a year until I came across Transa’s repair service while looking for repair options. In terms of sustainability, it is stupid to replace a backpack with a new one due to a torn carrier. Fortunately, for an extra charge of 10 CHF, Transa also repairs products that were not purchased from them. 30 Stutz less in your wallet against a functional backpack – thumbs up!

Practical information and tips for the winter hike Grotzenbühl – Kneugrat – Seblen from Braunwald

The route can be found on the map below. The hike starts at the Grotzenbüel mountain station and leads over the Kneugrat to the Seblengrat. The outward and return routes are about 8 km long, include an ascent of 450 meters and a descent of 450 meters in altitude. The hiking time of about 3 hours can be shortened with a chairlift ride Grotzenbüel-Seblengrat. The trail is signposted as a winter hiking trail / snowshoe trail. The first stage to the forest is partly in combination with the ski slopes. In case of fresh snow, snowshoes are an advantage – otherwise you can also use good mountain boots.

Grotzenbüel can be reached by funicular from Linthal (station “Linthal Braunwaldbahn”), with a change to the gondola lift in Braunwald. The funicular is included in the GA travelcard. For the gondola we paid half price (13.80 CHF round trip). From Grotzenbüel you can also get back to Braunwald on foot via the winter hiking trail or on cuddles via the toboggan run. The sledge rental costs 10 CHF per day.

Further information can be found on the website of Braunwald